Check selecting apparatus



March 1932- H E WURZBACH ET AL 1,851,557

I CHECK SELECTING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 5. 1929 3 s t s t 1 W ATTEY6March 29, 1932. WURZBACH 1,851,557 CHECK SELECTING APPARATUS Filed Dec.5. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

INVENTOR. E. Wurzbacfi. /e ,9: Wad

52% BY [2% W March 29, 1932- H. E. wURzBAcH ET AL ,8

- CHECK SELECTING APARA-TUs I Filed Dec. 5, i929 5 Sheets-She et- 5 1 ATORNEYJ Patented Mar. 29, 1932 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE HUGH E.WURZBACH AND LESLIE H. WADSWORTH, OF MAGIIA, UTAH, ASSIGNORS TC THE-SELECTOR CORPORATION, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, A CORPORATION OF UTAHCHECK SELECTING APPARATUS Application filed December 5, 1929. Serial No.411,807.

This invention relates to an improvement in check selecting mechanismfor use in connection with vending machines, coin changing machines orthe like, or in any case where it is desired to selectively separatecoins or checks having certain desired properties from coins or checksdifi'ering therefrom in any of said properties.

An important object of this invention is to provide .a check. selectingapparatus of great simplicity in construction and operation, and onewhich is exceptionally compact so as to occupy a space of minimum sizeand which is at the same time capable of subjecting the'checksto aplurality of selective actions dependent on a considerable numberofproperties so as to positively prevent the delivery of spurious orincorrect checks therefrom along with the genuine or correct checks.

A further objectof the invention is to provide for subjecting the checksto a plurality of successive selective actions and to so shape the checkconducting passages or chutes that all rejected checks are delivered toone common chute.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for increasing theaccuracy and certainty of a selective action dependent .on retardationof a check in rolling through a zone of magnetic flux, as described, forexample, in our Patent No. 1,693,104. According to the presentinvention, the accuracy and certainty of such selective action isincreased by providing suitable means whereby all checks, regardless ofthe velocity with which they are inserted in the apparatus and of thevelocity which they may have attained before reaching this part of themechanism,

are delivered without horizontal component of motion at the upper end ofa downwardly inclined passage and are brought substantially to a deadstop at this position, after which the checks are permitted to roll downin said passage through thezone of magnetic flux,

so that all checks start to roll substantially from a standing startand, therefore, reach the zone of magnetic flux with a uniform velocity.

A further object of the invention is to PI'O'.

vide means for quickly and accurately adj usting the intensityofthenlagnetic flux employed for selectively retarding the checks inaccordance with the electrical properties thereof. a

A further object of theinvention is to provide novel means whereby, whenthe selective device is used in connection with a vending machine, anycheck deposited in the device, when the vending machine is empty, willbe returned to the person by Whom it was de posited. Other objects ofthe invention will be referred to hereinafter or will be apparentdiverted fromthe genuine check passage.

The novel construction and arrangement of the passage defining and:check selecting means, which constitute the essential features of ourinvention, will be described more fully hereinafter, with reference tothe accompanying drawings illustrating certain embodiments of ourinvention.

Referring to these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a check selecting apparatus of ourinvention, adapted particularly for the separation of United Statesfive-cent coins from other coins or checks.

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof taken from the left side of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the apparatus on line 3-3 in Fig. 2. f

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line 4-4 in Fig.3.

Fig. 5 is a partial side elevation of the apparatus showing a simpleform of vending device associated therewith, and means for and havingthe desired weight will fo causing all deposited checks'to be returnedwhen said vending machine is empty.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a modified form of theinvention adapted particularly for separating of silver coins, such asUnited States twenty-five cent pieces, from other checks."

The apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive comprises two verticallydisposed parallel plates or side walls 1 and 2 spaced apart by adistance only slightly greater than the thickness of the checks to beselected so as to ermit such checks to pass therebetween. trips or.segments indicated at 26, 27, and 28 are secured in any suitable mannerbetween certain edge portions of said plates and are so shaped as tocooperate with other parts hereinafter. described to define passages forconduction of the checks therethrou h. The side plate 2 is provided withan opening 3 adj acent its upper end of substantially the size and shapeof the check to be selected. A vertical passage 4 extends downwardlyfrom said opening. Positioned below this passage is a small permanentmagnet 5 of modified horseshoe shape, whose upper arm 6 is inclineddownwardly from a position beneath the passage 4 to the position of thepoles 7 of said magnet, while the lower arm 8 is inclined in the reversedirection. Said magnet may be supported in any suitable manner, as bymeans of suitably shaped members 9 and bolts 10. The ends of the poles 7of said magnet are preferably rounded somewhat as shown. The uppermagnet arm 6 and the strip 26 cooperate to define a downwardly inclinedentrance passage 11 leading from the bottom of passage 4 to a positionadjacent the magnet poles 7. An arm 12 pivotally mounted at 13 so as toswing freely between the side plates 1 and 2 and in an opening 14between the strips 26 and 27, is provided with a suitably shaped face 15positioned opposite the lower end of passage 11. Said arm also has aprojection 12 extending outside the casing, the purpose of which will bedescribed hereinafter. A pin or other member 16 extends between the sideplates 1 and 2 and acts as a stop to limit forward movement of arm 12,which is normally held by gravity in position against said stop.

Below the magnet 5 is provided a segment 17 having two upper faceportions 18 and 19 inclined downwardly inopposite directions from adividing point or edge 20. This dividing edge 20 is/positioned below andsufficiently beyond the magnet poles 7 so that a check possessingnonrmagnetic properties low a certain trajectory and pass beyond saiddividing edge, while magnetic checks and checks sufliciently light inweight to be de-. flected to a relatively great extent by arm 12 will becaused to fall to the left of said dividing edge, as hereinafterdescribed. The. up-

and which leads to a passage 22 between the forward end of segment 17and strip 28. The

upper face portion 19 is spaced suificiently from the upper portion ofstrip 27 to provide a check passage space 23 therebetween.

' The rear face 24 of so cut 17 is spaced from the inner face 25 o strip27' by a distance substantially exactly equal to the diameter of thechecks to be selected by the apparatus, so as to provide a passage 30between said faces which is only of sufiicient width to permit verticalmotion of a check therethrough; Strip 27 is provided with an in,-

ward projection 27' having an upper face portion 31 in position belowthe passage 30 so as to be struck by a check falling through saidpassage, this face portion 31 having a slight downward inclination inthe reverse directionto the downward inclination of passage 11. From theforward edge of this slightly inclined face portion, a face 32 continuesin this same direction at a somewhat greater inclination. The lower face33 of segment 17 is spaced from face 32 by a distance sufficient toprovide another intermediate check passage 34 therebetween, which isalso inclined in the reverse direction to passage 11. However, we preferto provide segment 17 with a bounding from said last named ace and tendhereinafter described.

Means are provided for creating a zone of concentrated magnetic fluxacross the passage 34 and preferably adjacent the lower. end thereof soas to permit the check to acquire a certain downward velocity in saidpassage before passing through said flux. Such fiux creating means maycomprise a horseshoe magnet 37 whose arms 37a and 37b lie at oppositesides of the walls 1 and 2. Said mag-' net is shown as provided withpole pieces 38a and 38?) having projecting pole members extendingthrough the side plates 1 and 2 respectively and directly opposite oneanother so that the check will be caused topass closely between saidpole members. It will be understood that the side plates and other partsadjacent said. pole pieces are made of non-magnetic material or materialof low magnetic permeability, while said pole pieces are made ofmaterial of high magnetic permeability,

to bring the check substantially to rest as such as iron, so that'themagnetic flux is conhave shown the same as secured by means of bolts .48to a bracket 49 which is in turn secured by screws 51 to the side plate1.

The pole member of pole piece 38a is shown as comprising a shortcylindrical portion 39a formed integrally therewith and extendingthrough the plate 1, but the pole member of pole piece 38?) is shown asadjustable. Such adjustable pole member is shown as comprising a screw39?) adjustably mounted in an internally threaded recess 390 in polepiece 385. Said pole piece also has an integral ring-shaped portion 39dextending inwardly through the side plate 2. Screw 39b is of such lengththat when screwed all the way in,

, that is, when its head engages the outer face of pole piece 385, itsinner end is just flush with the inner face of projection 39d, andshould not in any case project beyond this face. Said screw is slottedinwardly from its head end, as shown at 39c, and is sprung outwardlyfrom said 'slot, so as to exert suflicient friction to hold the screw inany position to which it may be adjusted.

In assembling the apparatus, the magnet 37 is designed to have amagnetic force slightly greater than that required, and the screw 39?)is first screwed all the way in and is then backed out /so as to weakenthe flux, until the desired selectivity is obtained. Also, after thedevice has been in use for some time, the magnet may become slightlyweakened,

whereupon said screw maybe moved inwardly to again restore the fluxdensity to the desired value. It is evident that inward and outwardmovement of said screw will re spectively decrease and increase themagnetic reluctance of the gap between the o posing pole members, andthus adjust the flux density to the desired value. The ability to thusadjust the intensity of the-magnetic flux after the device is assembled,and from time to time during theoperation thereof, has been found to beof very great advantage in insuring the proper selective action at alltimes.

The inc-lined face 32 terminates at 41 and from this point the check isallowed to fall in a free trajectoryv through a space 42, suchtrajectory depending upon the velocity of the check after passingthrough the magnetic flux. An anvil or impact member 43 is mountedbeneath thisspace, said anvil having an inclined impact face 44 inposition to be struck only by checks following certain traj ectoriesthrough said space. Rearwardly of said impact member there is providedan im proper check outlet passage or chute 45 to receive checks fallingshort of said impact member and checks striking said impact member butfailing to rebound in the proper manner, and to also receive checksdelivered through space 42 from passage 22. In order to direct theselast mentioned-checks away from the impact member and into passage 45,the strip 28 is provided with a suitably curved shoulder 46. Passage 45may lead to any suitable means for disposition of improper checks, forexample, to a return chute 47 leading to a point outside the housing inwhich the device is mounted, for returning such checks to the person bywhom they were deposited.

At the opposite side of passage 45 from the impact member there isprovided a barrier plate 53 preferably having a sharp pointed upper edge54. An outlet passage 55 for proper checks is provided between saidbarrier plate and the lower end portion 27" of strip 27. Said passagemay lead to'any suitable means for disposition of proper checks, and isshown, for example as connected to a chute 58 which, when the device isused in conjunction with a vending machine or the like, may lead to thecheck control mechanism of such machine.

In, order to provide a further selective action on the checks reboundingfrom said impact member, We' refer to provide another swinging arm 56 0suitable light weight ma terial, pivotally mounted at 57 and normallyhanging in position across the opening above the barrier plate-53. Theweight of said arm is such that a check of proper weight will, uponstriking said arm, swing the same back out of its path and enter passage55, while a into passage v4 and thence into the down-' wardly inclinedentrance passage 11. Rolling downwardly over the upper arm 6 of magnet5, said check is brought'into close proximity to the magnetic polepieces 7, so that if it is made of iron or contains sulficient iron orother paramagnetic material to be appreciably attracted by said polepieces, it will be caused to adhere thereto, or be deflected thereby,and will roll around the ends of the pole pieces and under the lower arm8, where the magnetic field is weakened to-such an extent as to permitthe check to drop at some position to the left of the dividing edge 20.The check will then roll downwardly in passage 21 and fall throughpassage .22 and will be deflected by shoulder 46 so as to enter passage45. 1

Checks which are not thus magnetically attracted by the pole pieces 7will, by reason of the momentum which they acquire in the passage 11will be projected over such pole pieces and will strike arm 12.

If the check is of materially less than proper weight it will bedeflected by arm 12 and caused to fall to the left of dividing edge 20and will thus be delivered as before through passages 21, 22 and 45.Furthermore, checks such as those consisting partly of iron, which areslightly magnetic but are insufliciently so to be deflected into chute21 by the magnet-alone, and which are of substantially correct weight oronly slightly underweight and hence would not be deflected into saidchute by the arm 12 alone, will nevertheless be deflecteddnto said chuteby the combined action of said arm and magnet. Checks striking said armare still with- I 4 in the field of said magnet, and the slightretardation thus eflected, together with the retarding effect of suchmagnetic field, will act together to deflect such checks sufiicient lyto cause the same to fall to the left of edge 20. v V a However, if acheck is of proper weight and non-magnetic its momentum will besufficient to swing said arm out of the way with but I slightretardation, and the check will pass on through the space 23 into thevertical passage 30. Upon entering the vertical passage whose width issubstantially the width of the checks to be selected, the check willlose its horizontal component of motion and will be caused to passstraight vertically downward through said passage, the height of saidpassagebeing sufiicient to prevent any check from striking the furtherwall thereof and rebounding through the passage without again striking,the nearer wall and being thus constrained to move vertically downward.This construction, therefore, insures that all checks are delivered ontothe slightly inclined face 31 without any horizontal component ofmotion, regardless of the force with which they may have been deliveredinto the apparatus. Furthermore,

' zone of magnetic flux between the pole members of pole pieces 39a and396, the check will be more or less retarded by such magne'tic flux, inaccordancewith the magnetic and electrical properties of the check. Withthe apparatus shown in these-figures, if the check possesses the propermagnetic and electrical properties its motion will be retarded to arelatively small extent and the velocity with which it leaves passage 34will, therefore, be

suflicient to cause it to fall in a certain trajectory and strike uponthe impact face 44. However, other metal checks will be retarded to agreater extent and will be caused to follow such a trajectory as to fallshort of said impact face and enter passage 45.

Furthermore, any check striking the impact face 44 will reboundtherefrom in a path dependent on the position of impact and upon itsresilience. A check having the proper position of impact on said faceand possessing the proper resilience will be caused to re-' boundsufliciently to clear the upper edge 54 of barrier 53, and if such checkalso possesses the proper weight it will swing the arm 56 aside and passon into the outlet passage 55,- and thence through chute 58 to the checkcontrol mechanism or other means for further disposition thereof. If, onthe other hand, said check fails to strike properly on the impact memberand fails to possess the proper resilience, it will rebound therefrom toa less extent and will enter passage 45. Furthermore, even though thecheck should rebound in the proper path to clear the top of the barriermember, if its weight is insufficient it will be deflected by arm 56 andthrown back into the passage 45. It will be seen that the abovearrangement provides for two complete reversals in horizontal directionof motion of the check in passing through the apparatus, and while theimproper checks may be separated from the proper. checks at any one of aplurality of points in the path followed by proper checks, theconstruction also provides for delivery'of all improper checks,regardless of the particular point where they may be rejected, throughone common improper check outlet passage. From said passage such checksare all returned through chute 47 to the deposited. a v

This arrangement of parts providing for zig-zag passage of the cheeksthrough the apparatus is advantageous in that it permits the horizontaldimension of the apparatus in person whom they were the plane of travelof the checks to be much less than would be the case if. the checks werecaused to travel continuously in one horizontal direction through theapparatus. It provides-a much more compact check selecting device thananydevices heretofore used and adapted'to perform an equivalent numberof selective actions on the checks. 6

In Fig. 5, a check selecting device as above described, is indicated atA and is shownassociated with a simple form of vending aptom-mostarticle 62 may be delivered. For

effecting such delivery any suitable means may be provided, but we haveshown such means as comprising a lever 64 pivotally mounted at 65and'provided with an extension 66 passing through an opening 67 .in therear wall of easing 61-and adapted to push the bottom-most articleforwardly and deliver the same through chute 63. It will sertion otflacheck in the check selecting de-.

vice and delivery thereof through the proper check outlet passage 55above described.

For the purpose of insuring return of a deposited check to the persondepositing the same, when the last article of merchandise has beendelivered from the vending machine, we have shown a lever 69 pivotallymounted at 71, with its lower end7 2 extending adjacent the projectingportion 12' of arm 12 and provided at its upper end with a lug 73extending through an opening 74 in the rear wall of casing 61. A tensionspring 75 is provided tending to move the upper end of lever 69forwardly, but such forward movement is normally prevented by engagementof lug 73 with the rear face ofthe articles 62. A suitable weight 75 isshown as provided on top of the stack of articles 62, in order to insurethat the articles will be fed successively downwardly in easing 61 aseach article is delivered from the bottom of the stack. The lower end 72of lever 69 is normally spaced sufficiently from projection 12 to permitfree swinging of arm 12, through a sufficient angle toallow the checksto pass said arm.

It will be seen, however, that when the last of the articles 62 has beendelivered from casing 61, and the weight 75 has reached the bottom ofsaid casing and passed below lug 73, the lever 69 and said lug will bemoved by spring 75 to the positions indicated at 69' and 7 3' thusbringing the lower end of said lever into engagement with projection 12'so as to prevent normal swinging of arm 12 and lock the same sub;stantially in the position shown in Fig. 3. With said arm locked in thisposition, any check deposited through opening 3 into the check selectingdevice will be deflected by said arm and caused to pass through passages21 and 22 to the improper check outlet passage 25 whence it will bereturned to the person depositing the same through the return chute 47.

The form of apparatus shown in Fig. 6 is designed for the separation ofsilver coins, such as United States twenty-five cent pieces from othercoins and checks, the essential difference between this form and theform of apparatus first described being that in the first case there isno provision for checks following such a trajectory as to pass beyondthe impact means, while in this modified form of apparatus suchprovision is made. This is for the reason that the first apparatus isdesigned for the selection of United States five cent pieces which havebeen I found to undergo a less reduction in velocity .on passage throughthe magnetic flux than any other common metal checks. In case of silvercoins, on the other hand, such coins undergo a greater reduction invelocity on passage through said magnetic flux than do certain othermetal checks and therefore fall in shorter trajectories than such otherchecks; The apparatus shown in Fig. 6 .is

similar in most respects to that above de scribed. with the exceptionthat the impact member 43' is somewhat differently posi tioned withrespect to the lower end of passage 34, so as to be struck by cheeksfollowing relatively short trajectories, and a passage 45a is providedbeyond said impact member for receiving checks followinglongertrajectories. A second passage 45?) is also provided at the otherside of said impact member, principally for receiving checks strikingsaid impact member but having less than the proper resiliency. There isprovided as before a barrier member 53 whose upper edge 54"is sopositioned that only the checks possessing proper resiliency willrebound thereover. A proper check outlet passage 55 is provided at thefurther side of said barrier for receiving and carrying away the properchecks. The passages 45a and 45b for improper checks both lead to acommon return chute or other passage means 47. In this case theintermediate passage 21 for magnetically attracted checks is shown asleading to a passage 22 whose lower end is open straight downwardlytoward the passage 45a, so that the magnetically attracted checks willfall through said passage 45a. It will be understood, of course, that aswinging arm for deflecting light weight checks rebounding from theimpact member, similar to the arm 56 in the tion is similar to thatabove described, with the exception that the proper cheeks, namely,United Statestwenty-five cent pieces, are retarded to a relatively greatextent on passing through the zone of magnetic flux and are hence causedto'fall in a short trajectory and strike the impact face 44' of theimpact member. Due to their relatively high resilience, said checks thenrebound in such a path asto pass over the barrier edge 54' and into'thepassage 55. Checks undergoing a lesser retardation on passing throughthe magnetic flux, on the other hand, follow a relatively longertrajectory and pass beyond the impact member into passage 45a, whilechecks striking said-impact member but failing to rebound suffieientlyfall, as before, into passage 45?).

We claim:

1. In a check selecting apparatus, means defining a downwardly inclinedentrance passage for checks having means for insertion of checks intothe upper end thereof, means defining two separate intermediate checkpassages downwardly inclined in the reverse direction to'said entrancepassage and beneath the same, the upper ends of bothof said intermediate passages being in communication fining a space through whichchecks leaving said last-mentioned passageway may fall free- -1y in atrajectory dependent upon their velocity, impact means beneath saidspace in position to be struck only by checks following certaintrajectories, said space also permitting free rebound of checks fromsaid impact member in accordance with the position of impact and theresilience thereof, means defining aproper check outlet passage whoseentrance is positioned to receive only. checks rebounding in certainpaths from said im pact member, and means defining an improper checkoutlet passage whose entrance is positioned to receive checks passingthrough the intermediate passage for improper checks, and to alsoreceive checks leaving the intermediate passage for proper checks butfailing to strike said impact means and checks striking said impactmeans but failing to rebound therefrom in said certain paths.

.2. An apparatus as set forth in -claim 1,

in which the selecting means adjacent the lower end of the entrancepassage comprises a magnet whose poles areso positioned as to causemagnetically attracted checks passing the same to be delivered into theintermediate passage for improper checks, and to permit other checks tobe delivered into the inter mediate passage for proper checks.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which the means associatedwith the proper check intermediate passage for influencingthe velocity"of checks passingtherethrough comprises meanscreating a zone ofmagnetic flux extending across said passage at a distance from the upperend of saidpassage.

4. An apparatus comprising, in combina tionwith a vending machine havinga'receptacle for articles and means for successively discharging saidarticlesfrom said receptacle, means definin a downwardly inclinedentrance passage or checks, at ivotally mounted arm positioned oppositet e lower end of said passage in position to be engaged by checksleaving said passage and adapted to permit passage thereby of checkshaving means defining a separate passage in position to receive checksdeflected by said arm, means for returning to a point of access fromoutside the vending machine checks entering said last-named passage, andmeans engaging the articles in said receptacle and operable upondischarge of the .last of said articles therefrom to engage said'arm andprevent swinging thereof so as to thereupon cause all checks leavingsaid entrance passage to be deflected and delivered through said checkreturn means.

5. In a check selecting apparatus, means defining a downwardly inclinedcheck conducting passage, a magnet positioned-adjacent said passage insuch position as to deflect magnetically attracted checks from saidpassage, means defining a passage positioned to receive checks sodeflected, means defining a vertically extending check conducting passage communicating with said downwardly inclined passage at a positionbeyond said magnet so as to receive checks not deflected by said magnet,the width of said vertical passage being substantially exactly equal tothe diameter of the checks to be selected, and the length of saidvertical passage being suificient to suppress any horizontal componentof motion of checks delivered thereto and thereby cause said checks tobe delivered substantially vertically at the lowerend of saidverticalextending passage, means defining another ownwardly inclinedcheck conducting passa e communicating with the lower end of saidvertically extending passage, means creating a zone of magnetic fluxacross said last named downwardly inclined passage at a point below thepoint of communication thereof with said vertically extending passage,means defining a space beneath the lower end of said last nameddownwardlfy inclined passage to permit acheck to fall reely from saidpassage through said space, and means positioned within said space forselectively separating checks in accordance with the velocity at whichsaidche'cks leave said last named inclined passage.

P 6. In a check selecting apparatus, means defining adownwardly-inclined check conductmg passage whose lower face comprisesan' impact receiving portion of relatively slight.

inclination and a check guiding portion of relatively large inclinationextendmg downwardly from the lower end of said impact receiving portion,means defining a vertical passage communicating with the up er end ofsaid inclined passage and adapter? to deliver checks vertically uponsaid impact receiving face, portion, said passage defining meansincluding a shoulder positioned above vsaid downwardlyiinclined passageand adjacent the junction thereof with said vertical passage and inposition to be engaged by checks rebounding from said impact receivingface portion, said impact receiving face portion and said shoulder beingadapted to cooperate to bring all checks substantially to a stop at thispoint, means creating a zone of magnetic flux across said downwardlyinclined passage at a distance from the upper end thereof, and meansbeyondthe lower end of said downwardly inclined passage and operable toselectively separate checks in accordance with the velocity at whichsaid checks leave said downwardly inclined passa e.

g In a check selecting apparatus, means defining a downwardly extendingcheck conducting passage, magnet means of horseshoe shape having armsdisposed at opposite sides of said passage, pole members mounted on thea respective arms in position, to define a gap across said passage, oneof said pole members comprising a member ad ustably mounted on itsrespective magnet arms so as to .pera ber, 1929.

- HUGH E. WURZBACH. Q LESLIE H. WADSWORTH.

